The Bright Star [Fire Emblem: Three Houses AU]

Remnants of a Lost Future (Byleth)

A/N: Hey guys! I will NOT be adding any more AU notes to tell the differences between this AU and canon in the AU notes. Most of the major ones will definitely be obvious at one point in the story if they aren't already, but minor ones such as giving unnamed characters in canon a name will not be documented. Hopefully this won't be an issue to anyone!

He was to see Rhea then his father after his work. He would do his seminar within the lunch period instead of after school, get everything else related to his job as a professor done, see Rhea, then his father.

Rhea has just been behaving odd ever since he saw him the previous night. He felt creeped out, as if she were obsessed with him in some particular way. Whatever her behavior was trying to tell him, he was interpreting it as if he were trying to creep him out.

Of course he wanted to feel his mother's touch once again. He was just freaked out by the way that Rhea arranged her words. But he would be seeing her again to find out what her words truly mean.

Byleth went to the front of his class to begin his seminar. The ones attending were the three house leaders, Petra, Leonie, Felix, and Caspar. The three house leaders were excited to all have a duel with each other, while the other four just came to learn and practice their skills. "Thank you for attending," he said to the students. "If you were here last time, we worked on blocking attacks with a sword. Today we will do similar, but with a shield." He pointed to a barrel with swords in it. "Grab a sword from the barrel, then next to it are a pile of shields. Take one and begin sparring with each other for practice." He looked at the three house leaders. "Trios are allowed as well, but please don't try to kill each other."

The three house leaders looked excited. Of course they weren't going to kill each other, they just wanted to see who was better than the other. And where else would be better than Professor Byleth's swording lessons?

The students all grabbed their swords. Petra and Leonie paired up to spar with each other and Felix and Caspar paired up as well, while the three house leaders were in a triad to fight with each other. Byleth patrolled the area to make sure that everyone was following directions.

Once the three house leaders had grabbed their equipment, they were ready to begin fighting almost instantly. "You ready, everyone?" Dimitri asked as he readied his equipment.

Edelgard began the fight by striking him down as he readied his equipment. "I am, but perhaps not you necessarily!"

Dimitri jerked, using his shield in a panic to block her attack. "You thought you could get me there, could you?" He struck her with his sword, barely missing her and damaging the already beaten-up shield slightly more.

"I may not be allowed to kill you, but I sure will be the victor of this little spar," Edelgard said as she retaliated, drawing her sword close to his neck. Or at least tried to, as Dimitri's sword intersected before she could properly land a hit.

Byleth was observing the three house leaders' fight the most, knowing how competitive they were with each other. By the house leaders being competitive, he meant Edelgard and Dimitri. Claude was barely competitive at all, or at least not on the same level. He just watched while the other two did the closest they were allowed to do to try and kill each other.

"Claude, didn't you want to be a part of this fight?" Byleth asked as he came up to Claude and whispered to him. "Why aren't you participating?"

Claude chuckled. "Well, I just know the two are easily distracted by the mere presence of the other. So I'll take advantage and barge in at just the right moment. Strategy in motion, am I right?"

Claude had a point. "I see," Byleth said. "I'm trying to monitor other students who are trying to do the same thing, just on a lower intensity. If you could make sure that Edelgard and Dimitri don't kill or nearly fatally wound each other that would be great."

"Not a problem, Teach," Claude said.

With these sword lessons, Byleth was able to connect with the students. They were diverse from the people who lived in Garreg Mach like his parents, where the one thing all of them had in common was that they were devout and it was like their lives were made to take on a pious job. That was all in the end. His parents were doing their jobs mostly in the name of the Goddess. But the students had more than lives of just being pious; it was like a second thing for them.

Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude were to be the three leaders of the three nations, and with those came the biggest responsibilities that man could ever take on. They had to learn what makes a great leader and what makes a terrible one and how to keep their morality in balance. Petra nearly would fit into those categories as well, being the granddaughter of the King of Brigid, though she was farther away from being first in line for the throne, she still had to learn how to be a leader. Leonie was a commoner who wanted to prove she was worthy. Felix and Caspar were nobles who wanted to increase their strength.

They all had unique reasons for being there, and that's why they were here.

Byleth looked over Petra and Leonie's duel. Leonie was more of an attacker while Petra was a defender, Leonie making most of the attacks and Petra doing the best to exploit her strategy while still taking a step further in the fight. Leonie attempted to strike Petra, who blocked her with her shield and then struck Leonie's shield in retaliation.

"Good strategy," Byleth said, complimenting Petra.

"Thank you, Professor," Petra said slowly. She did not speak the native Fódlan tongue and was still getting used to slang and phrases in Fódlan. Her speech was able to be recognized by most, though she talked slowly and made an error every once in awhile.

Leonie grinned. "Know that I know that that's a good strategy and I should exploit it as best as I can."

"Good luck with that," Byleth said to Leonie. He glanced over to the house leaders' fight, where Edelgard and Dimitri were still fighting with each other, with Claude watching their every move.

When Edelgard and Dimitri struck each other, their blades very close, yet not touching one another, Claude stepped in and knocked the blade from Edelgard's hand, knocked her over, grabbed the sword from her fallen hand, and attacked Dimitri's shield with the blade in his left hand, then knocking the sword out from his other hand using the sword in his right hand.

Neither Edelgard nor Dimitri was the winner in their battle— it was Claude.

"Another day, another victory," Claude grinned as Edelgard rose from being knocked over.

"That was an impeccable strategy," Edelgard admitted. "I'll find a way to cut a hole in it."

Byleth applauded. "Good job, Claude." The school bell rang, indicating it was passing period for the students. "There goes the bell. Just leave your swords here; I'll put them back for you. I don't want you to be late to your next class because of me. Have a good rest of your day, everyone."

"Thank you!" some of the students said, including all three of the house leaders, as they put their weapons down and proceeded to get to their next class for passing period.

Byleth walked around, collecting the used-up swords and shields and putting them back in their appropriate place. Once he had finished, he had one woman to see, and her name was all on his mind right now.

Rhea.